The statewide teachers’ strike in West Virginia — one of the biggest in the nation in years — could signal the beginning of a new trend: a revolt against austerity policies.

The nine-day walkout, which ended Tuesday, was highly unusual. Teachers don’t leave their classrooms unless they’re seriously fed up, and West Virginia’s teachers were mad as hell. Austerity policies have squeezed them more and more each year: They earned, on average, $45,622 in 2016, with West Virginia ranking 47th among the states in teacher salaries, according to the National Education Association. Only Oklahoma, Mississippi and South Dakota paid less, and Oklahoma teachers, encouraged by the West Virginia walkout, are also considering a strike.